"His name was Alcott. The Alpha, Alcott Blue," declares Nora. "I only met him once, he was already... sick when I met him. Moreover, he hated Damian and his family, and wanted nothing to do with them. Back then, I thought it was because of how Judah Black had treated the Sapphire Moon Pack, but now, it's... His hatred was probably fueled by what happened to Nephera. Moon Goddess, I knew there had to be something else! I couldn't understand why Alcott loathed Damian and his father so much, but now... Moon Goddess, Damian's not going to like this..."
"He's not the only one," mumbles Liam.
While Liam's being all broody again, thinking about his father's misdeeds, my heart aches for Mara.
Once Nora mentioned the Sapphire Moon Clan and Cynthia, I had some hope that maybe there was still someone left from Mara's family, but... if this is true, Alcott Blue died even before Clarissa got to Silver City.
"Well, at least you and Liam aren't half-siblings," sighs Selena. "I mean, no offense, Liam, but it's really better that your father didn't have any other children somewhere."
"No offense taken," growls Liam. "Although, it does confirm that he was the lowest scum possible... Damn, now that explains why old man Blue hated us. Mom was probably pregnant with me around the same time..."
"Moon Goddess," mutters Nora. "I knew something was wrong about that whole half-sibling thing... Your parents were fated mates. Your father wouldn't have cheated on her..."
"Honestly, knowing Judah Black, even that wouldn't have surprised me," grumbles Selena.
"What about the Blue Family, then?" I ask.
They all turn their eyes to me. I don't really care about the Black Family matters, the fact that Liam's father was an asshole had already been established long ago, and I'm just glad Mara wasn't his daughter. However, now, I'm still waiting to uncover more of her story.
Nora takes a deep breath.
"Mara, there was... someone else."
"What? Who?"
Did Alcott Blue have a sibling? Is there someone else? My heart is beating like crazy, although Nora using past tense scares me. Is it going to be more bad news about Mara's family? Who did we miss?
"...Alcott had a son, who was the Alpha of the Sapphire Moon when I first met them," explains Nora. "...His name was William."
I immediately glance down at her son.
Will, William... Did she name her son after that man? Wait, if... if he was Alcott's son, wasn't he Mara's brother?
"William was our cousin," says Selena. “The grand-nephew of Queen Diane, although he wasn't a Royal, just an Alpha. A very good one too, he was strong."
"So he was... Mara's brother?" I ask, shocked.
"I... I wouldn't be able to say for sure if he was your... I mean, the other Mara's brother or half-brother," says Nora. "He... never mentioned his mother, I just assumed she died when he was young."
"Do you think he could be Nephera's son too?" asks Selena, frowning. "I mean, he was a boy, and he was older than us by, what, a few years?"
"I have no idea, but then, how would he have been fine without Judah chasing him too? Nephera did say he wanted to take her baby..."
"Wait, wait a second." I stop them. "You keep talking about him... about William Blue, in the past tense, but he was just a bit older than you are, right? Why... I mean, what happened to him? Was he sick?"
Nora's expression falls, and she slowly shakes her head.
"No, he... he died in the war, Mara, the one against Nephera, two years ago. On the same day Will was born."
I glance down at the innocent boy on her lap, with his big blue eyes.
"...Nephera killed him," says Selena.
My mind goes blank.
"...What do you mean, Nephera killed him?"
The two cousins exchange a glance, and Nora takes a deep breath.
